Category: Delco Patriots

An enthusiastic crowd of well over 100 packed the Newtown Square Knights of Columbus Hall, tonight, Feb. 26, to hear Jennifer Stefano, who is the state director of Americans for Prosperity (AFP), describe the importance of grassroots tea party activism and the need for the groups to present a united front.

The event was sponsored by the Delaware County Patriots.

“A national organization is useless if we don’t have (local people) who trust us,” she said.

Unity was something the left did very well she noted.

“Sometimes we have conversations about nonsense,” she said, however.

She emphasized the importance of priorities.

“Before I ever complain to another group, I’m going to be on the line with my elected officials,” she said.

Among the issues that she discussed was the upcoming sequestration battle which mandates a 2 percent cut in spending — about $85 billion — and was cooked up by Jack Lew as part of the Budget Control Act of 2011. Lew was then President Obama’s budget director. Obama has since nominated him to be secretary of treasury.

Obama now wants to break the deal and not cut spending. Mrs. Stefano is among those wanting to hold him to his word.

“I’m sure all of us have cut 2 percent (of our spending) over the last two years as all of our incomes have declined,” she said.

Among the state issues she mentioned was holding Gov. Corbett to his pledge to block the Medicaid expansion scheme that would give 700,000 low-wage working people access to the federal program. Whether it would give them access to competent doctors is another matter.

Mrs. Stefano noted that the proposal was anti-poor, as it is being discovered that those on Medicaid have health outcomes actually worse than those without insurance.

Also speaking was Mike Henry, who is the new Philadelphia coordinator of Heritage Action for America, who noted that his group concentrated on federal policy while AFP involved itself in state and federal matters.

Regina Scheerer of the Delaware County Patriots has sent out this legislative bulletin:

Our US Senator Pat Toomey, along with Senator David Vitter of Louisiana, introduced legislation to create a Constitutional amendment that limits the terms of US Congressmen and Senators.
The limit would be 3 two-year terms for US Representatives and 2 six-year terms for US Senators.
If you support such legislation, please email our Senators Toomey and Casey, and our Representative Pat Meehan, to voice that support.
Senator Pat Toomey’s website,www.toomey.senate.gov/ and then click “Contact”.
Senator Bob Casey’s website, http://www.casey.senate.gov/ and then click “Contact”.
Representative Pat Meehan’s website, http://meehan.house.gov/ and click “Contact Me”.

Our Governor Tom Corbett will propose to the State Legislature that Pennsylvania end its running of liquor stores.
Pennsylvania is one of only 2 states that still run its own liquor stores and that is not a government function.
The money generated by the sale of the liquor stores and businesses, more that $1 billion, would go to block grants to local school districts, and the retraining and placement of any state store employees not taken on by the private sector.
The money to the school districts would make up for lack of money in recent Federal and State budgets.
The State Pension System could also use some of that money to relieve the taxpayers of the burden of funding the state pensions.
If you support such legislation, please email Governor Corbett, State Representative Bill Adolph, and State Senator Ted Erickson, to voice that support.
Governor Corbett’s Contact: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=1072219&parentname=ObjMgr&parentid=11&mode=2
Representative Bill Adolph: http://www.williamadolph.com/ and click “Contact”.
Senator Ted Erickson: http://senatorerickson.com/ and click “Contact Me”.

Obamacare Horrors Detailed To Delco Pats — A near-capacity crowd that approached 300 heard that Obamacare will be much worse than even a Tea Partyer might suspect. Those attending the event at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Newtown Square tonight, Aug. 1. were both optimistic and enthusiastic in stopping it.

Katy Abram of Americans for Prosperity told the attendees at Hands Off My Healthcare that six-and-a-half million Pennsylvanians that now pay an income tax can expect to pay $3,065 more next year because of it.

Dr. Richard Leshner who is chief of cardiology at St. Mary’s Medical Center said doctor-patient privacy will soon be a thing of the past under The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

“Only two people are supposed to be in the room,” he said during a patient consultation. “That’s not the future”.

Chris Stigall, whose talk show airs 5:30-9 a.m. weekdays on 1210 AM, said he was given a article from an Irish newspaper from friend from Havertown named Brian that described how a young girl had used up her oxygen quota and couldn’t get new tanks. That, he said, was the future here.

Hands Off My Healthcare was hosted by Americans for Prosperity and The Delaware County Patriots.

“It’s not about healthcare,” said Leshner regarding the law. “It’s not about women’s right. It’s about control.”

He said the law creates a vertically integrated payment structure that will keep doctors from having a say in how the treat their patients. He noted that the law strongly encourages employers to dump their health care plans as it costs about $8,000 per year to cover an employee’s insurance while the penalty for not doing so is but $2,000.

He said expect rationing.

Mrs. Abram, who entered the public stage when she told then Sen. Arlen Specter that he “awakened a sleeping giant” during a town hall in the summer of 2009, described how the IRS and Department of Justice will have as much to do with administering Obamacare as the Department of Health and Human Services.

Mrs. Abram, however, also provided details on a way to slay the monster. She showed this video from the Cato Institute as to why states should reject health care exchanges forcing the federal government to foot the load. Feds don’t have the money to fund a national exchange. A state gets no benefit or flexibility for setting one up an exchange of its own as they are but portals into a national system.

Seven states — Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Wisconsin, South Carolina and Idaho — had declared they won’t be setting up state ones.

Pennsylvania is a different story. Gov. Tom Corbett — never a Tea Party favorite — has accepted $34 million from Washington for a state exchange. Mrs. Abram played a video of comments made by Corbett shortly after the Supreme Court ruling declaring Obamacare constitutional which indicated that he would comply with the law.

Mrs. Abram said Pennsylvania could either adopt a health exchange through an executive order by the governor or via a bill passed by the legislature. She said she didn’t think Corbett would go out on a limb to issue an executive order. Americans for Prosperity will be circulating Health Care Freedom Pledges for state legislators to sign.

Mrs. Abram said that while supporters of a state health exchange included the usual suspects like unions and Planned Parenthood, they also included the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce.

In other items from the night, Leshner said electronic record requirements cause doctors to see 20 percent fewer patients.

“The great lie is that electronic records help you,” he said.

He agreed with a questioner who asked if Obama was purposely trying to force Catholic hospitals out of business.

He said the reality is that President Obama’s plan is not designed to help the needy.

He said the consequences that we suffer are “the ramifications of his stupidity.”

One woman during the question session said that many workers don’t understand how soon they might lose their insurance benefits. She suggested that people start quizzing management about their plans and asking co-workers what they had heard.

The night’s introductions were made by Mary Ellen Jones of the Patriots.

Aaron Summers of the Republican Party’s Delaware Victory Center made a short presentation about the need for volunteers. The center in Suite 208 at the Springfield Shopping Center, 1001 Baltimore Pike, Springfield, is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Delco Pats Hear GOP Senate Hopefuls — Five prospects for the Republican nomination to take on incumbent Little Bobby Casey in next year’s senate race appeared before the Delaware County Patriots, Thursday, at the Knights of Columbus hall in Newtown Square.

Moderator was Kevin Kelly of The Loyal Opposition, a Philadelphia-based Tea Party group.

About 150 were in attendance.

Unfortunately, I was not one of them due to a being drafted for a pierogi-making project at my church.

Pols Make Pitches For A Plug By Patriots — Seven seeking office made pitches at tonight’s, March 24, meeting of the Delaware County Patriots, an indication of the growing influence of this Pennsylvania Tea Party group.

The event was held before a near capacity crowd at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Newtown Township.

Introducing their candidacies were Lisa Esler and John Dougherty who are running for the Penn Delco School Board; Frank DiBernardino who is running for the Garnet Valley School Board; Ed Partridge, a Marple Newtown School Director who is running for a Republican nomination for Newtown Supervisor; Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Paul Panepinto who is running for a Republican nomination for state Commonwealth Court; Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Paula Patrick who is running for state Superior Court; and Jay Russell who is running for a Republican nomination for Bucks County Commissioner.

School board candidates usually file on both tickets although Mrs. Esler, Dougherty and DiBernardino did not make it clear if they did. DiBernardino made an interesting point in his speech in which he promised a commitment to quality education and fiscal stewardship that the previous Garnet Valley superintendent had a salary of $275,000. He said he would endeavor to make the books of his district transparent.

The two seeking nominations to the state appellate courts noted they were the only ones on the ballot who are actually judges. Neither is supported by the state GOP establishment. Judge Panepinto said he is proudly pro life and does not believe in judicial activism. Judge Patrick described herself as a black woman with an Irish name. She said she is pro life, pro Second Amendment, pro traditional marriage and is a Born Again Christian.

The primary is May 17.

Also speaking was Paul Linkmeyer who won a committee seat in West Goshen Township in 2010. Linkmeyer explained the importance of committee seats and described how it is the committee people who pick the candidates. He encouraged all Tea Party people to either run for a committee seat in their district or get to know their committee person.

The Delco Patriots are having a Chat ‘N Chew Pizza Night, 6:30-9 at the Marple Public Library, 2599 Sproul Road, Broomall Pa. 19008. RSVP is required and can be made by calling 610-572-3442.

The group is also sponsoring U.S. Constitution Classes, starting April 27. Details can be found at DelcoPatriots.Com

Also, the group will have a flea market, May 1 at the Newtown Square Shopping Center, West Chester Pike and Route 252.